This life lesson is one half of what my parents worked to instill in me and my brothers and sister. “Roots and Wings”.
To me, Roots is best exemplified by my father. He was raised on a farm and has always demonstrated more than he's communicated.
We moved to Edgewood TX in 1996. It was there I started kindergarten and started to learn what it meant to be a member of the church (not just go), eat at the Kountry Kitchen, get to know your neighbors and do the occasional favor for them cause it's the right thing to do.
As a small town kid I definitely had a level of wanderlust, but I am grateful to have the example my parents set of what it looks like to love where you are. And by 'love where you are', I mean love as an action, not love as a fascination.
Would it be nice to have a few more stores? Some entertainment? A local hang? Sure. Did that keep them from pursuing a higher good? Of course not.
Dad didn't run for city council on some quest for power. There's not much fanfare in a town of 1,600 people. He's looking to serve the community and do the best he can for the whole with his seat at the table.
I'm working on growing my own roots, in my own way, not too far removed from my family tree.
Blooming where I'm planted, providing shade, and branching out slowly, surely, in due time.
P.S.
I shot Dad a text to see what wisdom he would share…here's what I got. 👌
“Stand for something or fall for anything”
“Show up is the first thing you have to do…everything else will fall in place”